The Weird Company : The Secret History of H. P. Lovecraft?s Twentieth Century

Shoggoths attack in this adrenaline-pumping novel set in the world of H. P. Lovecraft, where the horrors of the cosmos know no limits . . . It was in a way humanoid, as it stood on two legs and possessed two arms that ended in delicate digits that I would dare to call hands. Its skin was a pale blue, like the eggs of a robin, and curiously dry looking. The head was massive with a huge bulbous cranium, a large lipless mouth, and three blood red eyes that stared out at the world with nothing but hate.When it opened its mouth to speak it issued forth the most horrendous of sounds, something empty and hollow, like the wind blowing through a dead tree, and it made me cringe to hear it . . . The story of Dr. Hartwell ( Reanimators ) continues, but now he has company. Weird company: a witch, a changeling, a mad scientist, and a poet trapped in the form of a beast. These are not heroes but monsters . . . monsters to fight monsters. Their adventures rage across the globe, from the mountains and long-forgotten caves of Antarctica to the dimly lit backstreets of Innsmouth that still hold terrifying secrets. The unholy creatures released upon the world via the ill-fated Lake expedition to Antarctica must be stopped. And only the weird company stands in their way. Continuing in the fashion of Reanimators , The Weird Company finds Lovecraft expert Pete Rawlik taking some of the most well-known of H. P. Lovecraft�s creations and creating a true Frankenstein monster of a story�a tale more horrific than anything Lovecraft could have imagined . . . Skyhorse Publishing, under our Night Shade and Talos imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of titles for readers interested in science fiction (space opera, time travel, hard SF, alien invasion, near-future dystopia), fantasy (grimdark, sword and sorcery, contemporary urban fantasy, steampunk, alternative history), and horror (zombies, vampires, and the occult and supernatural), and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller, a national bestseller, or a Hugo or Nebula award-winner, we are committed to publishing quality books from a diverse group of authors. ** Review "Rawlik�s first novel, Reanimators (2013), was the perfect example of how to write a book in a shared universe without descending into pastiche; The Weird Company is a how to expand your vision of that universe, and how to make it your own, without diminishing the source material." � Hellnotes "The once human characters deal with their loss of humanity and their hope that they are not just monsters in sometimes subtle but always complex ways. Combine this with a wonderful League-of-Extraordinary-Gentleman-like plotline and you have a great adventure tale worthy of being included among any fan�s library." � Arkham Horror Book Club Praise for Pete Rawlik: "The coolest, most gifted Lovecraftian writer working today." �W. H. Pugmire, author of The Strange Dark One "Rawlik rampages through Lovecraft country like a grave-robber on formaldehyde ... not so much a writer to watch as one to keep under constant supervision, animal tranquilizers, and heavy restraints." �Cody Goodfellow, author of Radiant Dawn , on Reanimators About the Author Pete Rawlik has been active in all things Lovecraftian since his father read him �The Rats in the Walls� when he was a child as a bedtime story. For more than two decades he has run Dead Ink, selling rare and unusual books. Rawlik�s fiction has appeared in numerous magazine and anthologies. His first novel, Reanimators , was published by Night Shade Books in 2013. The Shoggoths of Cthulu mythos star in an Antarctica-set novel by the author of Reanimators, “the coolest, most gifted Lovecraftian writer working today” (W. H. Pugmire). Once, Dr. Stuart Hartwell sought to destroy a fellow colleague by revealing the dreadful mysteries of his unholy experiments—only to end up following the same venal path as a reanimator of the dead. Now Hartwell has returned—with company. Weird company: a witch, a changeling, a mad scientist, and a poet who is trapped in the form of a beast. These are not heroes, but monsters...monsters to fight monsters. Their adventures range across the globe, from the mountains and long-forgotten caves of the South Pole to a coastal town in Massachusetts that still holds terrifying secrets. Now, the Shoggoths are rising. And only the weird company stands between them and an unsuspecting world. This second book in a trilogy draws from some of the most legendary and fantastical literary characters and creatures in the history of uncanny fiction—“indeed, there’s much of Jules Verne, not to mention Conan Doyle, H.G. Wells and Rider Haggard in this story of adventure, science fiction and horror, which ranges from the back streets of Innsmouth to the frozen wastes of Antarctica.”—British Fantasy Society "The story of H. P. Lovecraft's Dr. Hartwell continues, but now he has company. Weird company: a witch, a changeling, a mad scientist, and a poet trapped in the form of a beast. These are not heroes but monsters . . . monsters to fight monsters. Their adventures rage across the globe, from the mountains and long-forgotten caves of Antarctica to the dimly lit backstreets of Innsmouth that still hold terrifying secrets. The unholy creatures released upon the world via the ill-fated Lake expedition to Antarctica must be stopped. And only the weird company stands in their way"--Page 4 of cover